Police investigating property manager over missing funds

Published: Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 6:55 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 2, 2013 at 6:55 p.m.

Law enforcement is investigating a Gainesville property management company after several homeowners associations reported that money was missing from their accounts.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office is working with the Gainesville Police Department to investigate Sun Lu Properties and have served a search warrant at the company’s office at 910 NW Eighth Ave., sheriff’s spokesman Art Forgey said on Thursday.

Sun Lu Properties did not respond to requests for comment.

The investigation involves several homeowners associations inside and outside the city limits, Forgey said.

Two cases have resulted in sworn complaints recommending criminal charges to the State Attorney’s Office. University Terrace West was missing a combined $63,000 and Meadowglen Property Owners Association was missing $7,000.

The complaints allege that property manager Sally Ann Wilson wrote checks from the associations’ accounts made out to cash, while other checks were made out to her and deposited in her personal bank account. She also reportedly wrote checks to Sun Lu maintenance workers John Boyd Rivers and Kenneth E. Grundmann to cash the checks and bring the money to her.

GPD Officer Ben Tobias said investigators are still getting calls from associations and property owners.

The sheriff’s office took the initial report on April 17 after the Hampton Ridge Homeowners Association noticed about $9,000 missing from one of its accounts and $13,000 missing from another account, Tobias said.

He said financial investigations typically take the longest to complete.

“You’ve got records to get from several different banks and several different homeowners associations. You try to get surveillance videos of who might have been cashing checks if you have that availability and try to follow the trail of the money and where it went,” he said.

<p>Law enforcement is investigating a Gainesville property management company after several homeowners associations reported that money was missing from their accounts.</p><p>The Alachua County Sheriff's Office is working with the Gainesville Police Department to investigate Sun Lu Properties and have served a search warrant at the company's office at 910 NW Eighth Ave., sheriff's spokesman Art Forgey said on Thursday.</p><p>Sun Lu Properties did not respond to requests for comment.</p><p>The investigation involves several homeowners associations inside and outside the city limits, Forgey said.</p><p>Two cases have resulted in sworn complaints recommending criminal charges to the State Attorney's Office. University Terrace West was missing a combined $63,000 and Meadowglen Property Owners Association was missing $7,000.</p><p>The complaints allege that property manager Sally Ann Wilson wrote checks from the associations' accounts made out to cash, while other checks were made out to her and deposited in her personal bank account. She also reportedly wrote checks to Sun Lu maintenance workers John Boyd Rivers and Kenneth E. Grundmann to cash the checks and bring the money to her.</p><p>GPD Officer Ben Tobias said investigators are still getting calls from associations and property owners.</p><p>The sheriff's office took the initial report on April 17 after the Hampton Ridge Homeowners Association noticed about $9,000 missing from one of its accounts and $13,000 missing from another account, Tobias said.</p><p>He said financial investigations typically take the longest to complete.</p><p>“You've got records to get from several different banks and several different homeowners associations. You try to get surveillance videos of who might have been cashing checks if you have that availability and try to follow the trail of the money and where it went,” he said.</p>